BLS metro-level wage data places Food Scientists and Technologists pay in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR at a median of $94,770 per year ($45.56/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $88,720, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway pays +7% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 50 food scientists and technologistss are employed across the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway MSA in SOC 19-1012.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway pay distribution spans from $48,060 at the 10th percentile to $159,240 at the 90th — a 3.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $65,230 and the 75th at $125,040, so half of Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway-based food scientists and technologistss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide AR data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.